WOYWW 813

 LOVE AND JOY COME TO YOU

AND TO YOU YOUR WASSAIL TOO!

Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you joy, health and happiness in 2025 - last year was one of ups and downs for many of us, this one is going to be better!! 🤞🤞🤞🤞

The JanCave has seen some action, woohoo!

I've been sorting out the baskets to go in the Harbour Lights Tearoom when it reopens next week and also making some new sets out of a jungle fabric I already had. My boys gave me fabric vouchers, good lads, so I've a big parcel on order.

These two bags are from stash as well, I love those rows of little ducks, they make me happy.....

especially as they waddle along the handles. I tell you, it's the little details that are most pleasing.

I had some great Christmas presents, this fab little cross stitch was made by my mate Sue!

And I also got two jigsaws, the first for ages....

This should keep me quiet for five minutes......

But one of my bestest prezzies was from G:

This really made me happy, I love it and it'll take pride of place in the JanCave!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, sending love and hugs to you for another amazing year of friendship and crafting xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 812

 WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thank you so much for all your support, comments and inspiration this year, it is very much appreciated. I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and wish you joy, health and happiness for the New Year xx

See you next year!! All my love, LLJ xxxxxxx

WOYWW 811

 'TWAS IN THE MOON OF WINTERTIME

WHEN ALL THE BIRDS HAD FLED...

Today's lyrics come from the Huron Carol, one of my favourites - I used to play it in choir practise when working as a TA in primary school, the children loved it too because it was different and fun to sing.

I learned on FB yesterday that Christine (Blog name Bishopsmate) passed away on 13th November. She hadn’t posted for ages due to ill health but had been a staunch supporter of my blog. We’d met many times at Crops, her pink hair as vibrant as her personality, at least she’s now with her beloved PJ again xx

 I can't show you my desk today as Owen is working in the JanCave for the week. I haven't been sewing much, been too busy doing other things - but I did have a fabric delivery. Aren't they lush?!

Ooooh, I don't know which one to start with!  The gorgeous jewel bright colours really attracted me - I must be going through a phase cos look.....

My next blanket project! There's a couple more balls of purple somewhere, wonder where they've gone?  I'm making a throw for the bed in the JanCave and will appreciate the colours all year round.

I've been using up scraps to knit these tiny little hats for next year's Innocent Smoothie campaign. I know Mary Anne does some amazing patterns but  I found these plain little hats easy to knit with the little pom poms made using a fork:

So quick and easy to do!

We've been out and about quite a bit doing some Christmas visiting - we had a trip to Llandeilo, a small market town with quite a buzz. These decorations were fun, on a building that used to be the Gin House, a place that many a friend has been with me!

It's now a cafe and was too cold to sit outside, very different to when a gin cocktail or two has been drunk there!

We visited the Christmas tree festival in our local church St Illtyd as well:

It's a very ancient church founded in the 11th century - I sang in the choir as a child here, also was married and both boys were christened here so it's been part of my life for a long time! It was lovely viewing all the beautiful trees decorated by local groups and businesses.

And I admire my group of trees every day:

Some made by yours truly, the crochet ones made by Famfa, a desker of old and the gnome was made by Jill, my SiL. I do love getting these old favourites out each year.

Hope you have a good week in the run up to Christmas, I don't know if Sarah will post a link up next week but I shall be there if you are! xx

WOYWW 810

 FOR THOSE IN PERIL ON THE SEA....

Morning folks, another week has whooshed past, literally after Storm Daragh rushed through last Saturday. Goodness me it was frightening, 87mph winds recorded on our beach - fortunately we didn't sustain any damage but there have been many in the area without power for four days now.  Thankfully the RNLI weren't called out at all, phew, I think everyone in the area heeded the Red Warning not to leave home.

This was the evening before however:

The Pembrey craft fair managed to go ahead just before the storm started. It was steady rather than busy but we made over £200 which took the grand total to just over £1000, as many of you will have seen on FB. Proper chuffed we were!

A lovely parcel turned up out of the blue from those naughty Shrewsbury Sisters, with two beautiful cards and a little parcel:

Isn't that tempting?

I LOVE those colours together, thank you so much Jo, I really will enjoy using them, you're so kind xx

I might have bought some fabric myself, it was on sale at one of the online places I buy from:

Fun huh? It's a slightly coarser weave perfect for tote bags, not the folding kind - I only have two left, they sold really well at the Dunelm stalls.  I thought the ducks were fun and the wave just reminds me of Lynnecrafts, right up our street!

I've cut into that already, four bags ready to be constructed and a peg bag already done. I've got a little bag to make for Lynne as well.

We met up with my brother and sister in law for lunch on Monday to celebrate G's birthday and Jill gave us this hanging she'd made, isn't it fantastic? She's so clever, her quilting is spot on - it's now got pride of place in our hallway.

And finally, Christmas makes of another kind:

It's got to be done! I made 36, 24 of which are going straight into the freezer but there's a few left if you fancy popping over for a coffee and mince pie....I'll get the kettle on!

Hope you have a wonderful week and manage to carve out some crafting time xxxxxx

WOYWW 809

 NOW THE HOLLY BEARS A BERRY....

Hello lovely Deskers, another Wednesday rolls around and once again we share our projects at Sarah's Craft Shed, linking up with folk around the world.

I'm afraid it's full on Christmas here:

I'm making gnomes are little thank-yous for all the help I've received recently. I had the stash so am using it up. Flat gnomes look a bit sad don't they?!

That's better, one down, a few to go,,,,

I had to make a few more lengths of bunting too as the last lot all went....

But there's some non festive crafting going on as well! That rather groovy 60s fabric is being cut up for tote bags as I've only got two left. The green plastic bag has five Terry's Chocolate Oranges inside for the last craft fair I'm doing on Friday - I have resisted so far *grin*  They'll be going into the knitted Christmas pud covers that an RNLI friend made.

The last Dunelm stall was quieter than the first week but we still made £250! So that's £820 total between the three stalls so far. I'd love to think I'd crack the £1k but don't think that's going to happen on Friday - it's still very pleasing though!

I swapped to the warmer side of the entrance aisle and layered up well so wasn't as cold this time! It was a fun day and I was helped by my friend Kim in the morning and my SiL Jill in the afternoon, the time went very quickly!

Hope you have a good week, may it be happy, healthy and full of crafting xxxx

WOYWW 808

 YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS....

Hello again lovely Deskers, hope you've had a good week! I do look forwards to Wednesdays very much seeing what you've all got up to xx

My desk looks as if I'm sewing at midnight but this was 2pm last Saturday, it was as black as Hades but fortunately we escaped the flooding unlike some poor folk around here:

I nearly sold out of the trios of bag, purse and case at Dunelm last Friday so made some more - isn't this fabric pretty? The extension table is very useful as a bigger working area and also I can stash the tools I use a lot underneath. Win Win!

Sunshine! This was yesterday morning, I'd sold out of bunting too...

We had a fab time at Dunelm, it was a lovely sociable day, lots of the RNLI volunteers popped in to support us but we had some nice feedback from the shoppers too. I had a lot of support on the day:

My dear mates Sue and Kim who helped out by being there but also by making extra bits and pieces. I have my coat on as it was cold at 2pm and we were by the entrance doors!

Sue made these fun things from face cloths:

They sold so well this is the second lot for this coming Friday where we do it all again!

I am very proud to say that we made £421! That includes £80 from pre-sales but the support on the day was fantastic. I really didn't know what to expect as this was the first time but we were bowled over. I am looking forward to this Friday, it's unlikely we'll make the same amount but you never know!

Hope you have a great week, may your crafting be joyous xx

WOYWW 807

 IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE.........

Hi there all you lovely Deskers! Another week of sharing our crafty goings on around the world, hosted by Sarah in her Craft Shed. Join in, it's loads of fun and very inspirational xx

It's been a full week again, that's for sure! Last Saturday saw me at the first craft fair of the season in a very nice village hall in deepest, darkest Carmarthenshire.

There were some very high end crafters there so I was the cheap and cheerful stall, lol! I made £156 though so was very pleased with that.

It's my turn to have a stall at the Llanelli branch of Dunelm this Friday - my slot was advertised on FB by the Dunelm co-ordinator:

I supplied the pics and did the business card but it looks quite good. Oo-er, getting excited now, wish me luck! I won't be on my own the whole time though, I have a rota of friends who are coming to help as it's a long day.

I bought a new bit of display for my stall:

These folding ladders will be very useful all year round and lifts up the items to eye level. I haven't knitted all these things, some willing 'volunteers' from the RNLI shop helped, lol!

I have been enjoying my new machine as well though, still discovering new things all the time. I love the extension table, it really stops larger pieces from falling off the edge of the desk:

It is so useful! I've started making a cot quilt for friends of my son who are having their first baby early next year:

A mix of some layer cake squares and my own fabric, I like the soft colours..

Some silver grey sashing and a darker purple border possibly, dunno, these things tend to alter as I change my mind *grin*

And that's it for now, it's a busy week ahead but a fun one, hope you enjoy it too xxxx